Staff Report
City Council
Item No. {{section.number}}.E
Meeting Date: January 22, 2025
From: John A. Corella, Director of Public Works
Title: Agreement with Urban Conservation Corps of the Inland Empire (UCCIE) to Provide Field Services at the Esperanza Park Project (C07021).
RECOMMENDATION:
To approve an agreement with Urban Conservation Corps of the Inland Empire (UCCIE) for the not to exceed amount of $71,040 to provide field services at the Esperanza Park Project (C07021); and, authorize the City Manager to execute the required contract documents.
BACKGROUND:
In December 2021, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (more commonly known as California State Parks) awarded the City of Cathedral City the amount of $8,498,000 in grant funds from the Statewide Park Program (SPP) Round 4 for the design and construction of the Esperanza Park (formally known as the Dream Homes Park) project.
The SPP grant guidelines outlined a requirement for the project to utilize services from the California Conservation Corps (CCC). In response, the city contacted the CCC’s regional office, the Urban Conservation Corps of the Inland Empire (UCCIE), and reached an agreement that the cost for these services would not exceed $71,040.00. Under this agreement, corps-members would support the general contractor with landscape-related tasks, using materials supplied by the contractor.
The application approved by the California State Parks Statewide Park Program (SPP) Round 4, considered the amount of $71,040.00 as a requirement of the grant program and thus, this project.
On November 8, 2023, City Council awarded a construction contract to Urban Habitat for the construction of Esperanza Park city project No. C07021. In addition to the contract award, City Council approved amendments to the budget from the General Fund (100), the City’s Capital Improvement Project (CIP) Plan (331) and the Environmental Fund (246) to provide funding for the Project.
The park construction started on December 26, 2023. As the park’s construction moves forward, an agreement with the UCCIE is necessary to ensure compliance with the SPP grant program.
DISCUSSION:
UCCIE provided a formal proposal in the amount of $71,040.00 to perform field/landscape work such as planting, spreading of decomposed granite, etc., for the Esperanza Park project. This amount is consistent with the original grant application, thus enabling the city to stay in compliance with the grant requirements.
City staff, Urban Habitat (Contractor), and the UCCIE agreed to coordinate a successful integration and use of corps-members into the project at this time within the project schedule.
Staff recommends the City Council approve this agreement with Urban Conservation Corps of the Inland Empire (UCCIE) for the not to exceed amount of $71,040 to provide field services at the Esperanza Park Project (C07021); and, authorize the City Manager to execute the required contract documents.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The budget amendment approved during the November 8, 2023, Council Meeting included $71,040.00 to fund these UCCIE services.
An environmental educational component will be incorporated into the partnership with the members of the UCCIE. The city’s Environmental Conservation Division staff will compile, coordinate and implement an educational program that will educate corps-members on how landscaping projects impact the environment. The program will include information on how using less water and chemicals minimizes environmental strain on local water sources and ecosystems.
This conservation initiative enables the City’s Environmental Conservation Fund (Fund 246) to cover 75% of the cost, with the remaining 25% funded by the General Fund (Fund 100).
Below is a summary of the shared funding.
UCCIE Proposal Amount $71,040.00
Environmental Conservation (Fund 246) – 75% $53,280.00
General Fund (Fund 100) – 25% $17,760.00
Total $71,040.00
This is a net zero budget adjustment. The funding allocated from the Environmental Conservation Fund (Fund 246) is increased from $108,000.00 to $161,280.00 due to the environmental educational initiative cited above, and the funding allocated from the General Fund (Fund 100) is reduced from $2,481,211.00 to $2,427,931.00.
The project budget remains as approved in the amount of $11,621,615.51. The project budget is detailed in the table below.
DESCRIPTION GENERAL
LEDGER
ACCOUNT
CODES
PROJECT
CODE
AMOUNT ONE TIME or
ONGOING
2024-2025 Capital 331-100-150- C07021 $8,498,000.00 One Time Improvement
Project (CIP) –
State Parks
Statewide Park
Program Grant
156-8800-
8802
2024-2025 General Fund
100-100-150-
156-8800-
8802
C07021 $2,427,931.00 One Time
2024-2025
Environmental
Conservation
Fund
246-900-910-
911-8800-
8802
C07021 $161,280.00 One Time
2024-2025
Capital
Improvement
Project (CIP) –
CVAG
Reimbursement
331-100-150-
156-8800-
8802
C07021 $534,404.51 One Time
2024-2025 Total $11,621,615.51
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
GOAL B: COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
Objective: Cathedral City roads, gateways, public spaces, and other city infrastructure are well planned, designed, constructed, and maintained.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Service Agreement